Despite it all, this can still be a special season
The Syracuse Orange had a no-good, very bad night in Pittsburgh. It was a game where the Orange had an opportunity to make a statement to the nation, and they failed. Simple as that.
Forget the CFP and the ACC Championship game, but the opportunity for a special season is still there. The Orange are 5-2 with three home games in their final five. There is still a lot to play for Fran Brown’s squad and the foundation they are trying to build.
Brown talked about adding transfers to bring a winning mentality to Syracuse and this is where coaches and players will have to make a difference. We all know too well that several Orange seasons have gone off the rails and the true measure of this group will play out over these final five weeks.
The 2018 season wasn’t special coming off a loss at Pitt. It became special when the Orange rallied to beat UNC, held off NC State and got rolling on their way to 10 wins. When you think of that season do you think about the loss to Pitt or the way it ended? Can this group follow a similar path?
The road won’t be easy because as many physical issues you want to point to, the psychological impact of this game is going to be tougher to overcome. What do you say when the statistics look like you held your own, but the final score was a blowout? Can you get the locker room to keep to the DART philosophy, to dig in and burn this film and move on?
I know that the bandwagon will be smaller before Virginia Tech arrives in town, but as the calendar turns to November it’s important to keep some perspective.
Syracuse is 5-2. They just won 2 of 3 on the road and they can still finish in a position that pushes this program’s rebuild forward…..but they’ve got some work to do starting today.